Flexible shaft for use as an internal splint for industrial application

Abstract

A flexible connecting rod is manufactured from a rigid material and having a substantially cylindrical hollow body, a leading segment with a securing area and a trailing segment having a trailing edge and a securing area. The body has at least one flexible center section, each having at least one slot to provide flexibility. The slot follows a sinuous, serpentine path to form a plurality of interlocking teeth that can follow a helical or a concentric path. Each slot has a proximal end spaced from the trailing segment and a distal end spaced from the leading segment. With multiple slots the proximal end of a slot can be spaced from, and separated by an inflexible section, or adjacent to, a distal end of a subsequent slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A flexible connecting rod system for connection of two structures, said rod manufactured from a rigid material having a substantially cylindrical hollow body, said hollow body comprising:
 an exterior diameter; 
 an interior core; 
 a leading segment having a securing area; 
 a trailing segment having a securing area; 
 a body between said leading segment and said trailing segment, said body having a leading edge adjacent said leading segment and a trailing edge adjacent said trailing segment; 
 at least two slots, each of said at least two slots having a proximal end and a distal end and following a sinuous, serpentine path to form a plurality of interlocking teeth, each of said at least two slots having a predetermined configuration, each of said predetermined configuration being determined by a combination comprising: 
 an individual pattern, said individual pattern being selected from the group comprising a helical pattern and a concentric pattern; 
 placement along said body with respect to said leading edge, said trailing edge and another of said at least two slots; 
 a pitch; 
 a helical angle, said helical angle being in the range of about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees; 
 an amplitude; 
 a slot cycle frequency; and 
 a width, said width forming an unbound joint permitting limited movement in any direction upon application of at least one from the group comprising: tensile, compressive, and torsion force; 
 wherein the predetermined configuration of each of said at least two slots individually in combination determines the flexibility of said flexible connecting rod thereby enabling the connection of structures selected from the group of rigid, flexible, semi-flexible and misaligned; and 
 further comprising a locking shaft, said locking shaft comprising:
 a. a bar, said bar being flexible; 
 b. multiple roller sets each of said multiple roller sets comprising at least a pair of rollers and spacers and having an outer diameter dimensioned to be received in said flexible connecting rod, said roller sets having a receiving hole, said receiving hole being offset from center and dimensioned to receive said bar; 
 
 wherein said bar and said multiple roller sets are dimensioned to fit within said flexible connecting rod and rotation of said bar rotates said multiple roller sets to wedge against the interior core of said flexible connecting rod. 
 
     
     
       2. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said individual pattern is multiple concentric slots. 
     
     
       3. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said proximal end of one of said at least two slots is spaced from said trailing edge and said distal end of another of said at least two slots is spaced from said leading edge. 
     
     
       4. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said proximal end of one of said at least two slots is spaced from said distal end of a subsequent slot leaving an unslotted section. 
     
     
       5. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said proximal end of one of said at least two slots is adjacent to said distal end of a subsequent slot. 
     
     
       6. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said securing area of said leading segment further comprises at least one securing member selected from at least one from the group comprising securing slots, holes, threads, deployable fins, talons, expandable cages, and cement. 
     
     
       7. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said securing area of said trailing segment further comprises at least one securing member selected from at least one of the group comprising securing slots, holes, threads, deployable fins, talons, expandable cages, and cement. 
     
     
       8. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein each of said at least two slots has an increased width in a first direction compared to a second direction to provide increased flexibility in said first direction. 
     
     
       9. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein each of said at least two slots has a width between about 0.5% and about 15.0% of the diameter of said flexible connecting rod and a maximum of about 20.0% to 25.0% of said diameter of said flexible connecting rod. 
     
     
       10. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein a ratio of said amplitude of said path to said pitch of each of said at least two slots is in the range from greater than 0.1 to about 0.8. 
     
     
       11. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  further comprising an elastomeric material, said elastomeric material interacting with said flexible connecting rod from at least one of the group comprising:
 a. at least one of said at least one slot being filled; 
 b. at least one portion of said interior core adjacent to said at least one flexible center section being filled; 
 c. said interior core being filled; 
 d. elastomeric material extending through and filling, said at least one slot; 
 e. elastomeric material encompassing at least a portion of said exterior diameter; 
 f. elastomeric material encompassing said exterior diameter, filling and extending through said at least one slot; 
 g. elastomeric material encompassing at least a portion of said exterior diameter of said flexible connecting rod. 
 
     
     
       12. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein said slot cycle frequency of said helical pattern about 0.25 to about 5 cycles per diameter length. 
     
     
       13. The flexible connecting rod system of  claim 1  wherein either said spacers are non-rotatably affixed to said bar and said rollers are rotatable on said bar or said spacers and said rollers are non-rotatably affixed to said bar.